Irina refrigerator ship in distress in Pacific ready for towing

The refrigerator ship is 93 meters long, has a water displacement of 5,800 tonnes

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VLADIVOSTOK, January 16 (Itar-Tass) —— The Irina refrigerator ship, which is in distress in the Pacific, plugged all the holes, pumped the water out of the engine room, so, the vessel is ready for towing to Vladivostok. The refrigerator ship is put on the even keel off the Kuril island Kunashir. The Atlas rescue ship belonging to the Sakhalin sea basin rescue department is keeping the refrigerator ship in tow. The Atlas crew and the divers, which are working constantly onboard the ship, brought the refrigerator ship back in operating order at the final stage of the rescue operation, a duty officer of the Sakhalin sea basin rescue department told Itar-Tass.

The Irina refrigerator ship got in distress overnight to January 4, when the ship headed from the Sea of Okhotsk to Vladivostok. Near the Kunashir Island the refrigerator ship was stranded in a strong storm, when bring to anchor the ship hit the sea bottom and lost the drive screw. The Irina engine room was completely flooded, all the equipment went out of order. The refrigerator ship lost the speed and turned out to be in the power of high winds and waves, developed a strong list up to ten degrees. The captain ordered to the whole crew of 19 people to evacuate onboard another refrigerator ship Tatarstan. Shortly after that the refrigerator ship in distress broke moorings and was taken away in the Pacific. The rescue ships Suvorovets and Atlas have found the Irina ship 60 nautical miles south of the Zeleny Island of the Small Kuril Chain, managed to take the ship in distress in tow and tow her back to Kunashir.

The Irina refrigerator ship is carrying 560 tonnes of fish, 105 tonnes of fuel oil, 40 tonnes of diesel fuel and six tonnes of lubricants.

The refrigerator ship is 93 meters long, has a water displacement of 5,800 tonnes. She belongs to the Big Star Shipping Company.